Nani’s Delicious Sautéed Rice
I feel like I am giving you a very special gift today! This recipe has been in my family for generations. My Nani (grandmother) made it in her kitchen, and so did my mom. I make it often, and I’m passing this recipe down to my daughter and daughter-in-law! But I suspect that this recipe didn’t begin with Nani. It has distinct ingredients that tell me it is part of my Hungarian roots! This may seem like “rice” to you, but just wait until you make it! This is a scrumptious side dish that will become a family favorite! So today, I’m sharing a bit of my family heritage in a recipe!
I keep all the ingredients on hand so I can make this delicious dish when the mood strikes… and it strikes often! The rice is partnered with sautéed onions and celery, simmered in chicken stock, and finished with a good sprinkle of fresh parsley. SO GOOD!
Nani’s Sautéed Rice
Print RecipeIngredients
- 3 TBS olive oil
- one large onion-peeled and diced
- 2-3 celery ribs diced the same size as the onion
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup rice I like Basmati
- 2 3/4 cup chicken stock
- 2 TBS fresh parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Put olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
- Add onions and celery and sauté for 5 minutes. Depending on your cooktop, you might want to turn the flame down to medium low at this point. Do not let the onions and celery brown.
- When they are translucent add salt and rice.
- Sauté rice for 5 minutes. Do not let the rice burn. Stir occasionally.
- Add the chicken stock and cover with a lid. Simmer for 15-20 minutes on medium low heat until the rice is done. Add a little more chicken stock if the rice mixture gets too dry.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the fresh parsley.
- Serve hot.
Notes
Sounds deliciousl
sounds wonderful.I will have to make this soon.
Good Evening Yvonne, How kind of you to share your Nani’s rice dish with us. Family recipes are so precious because when they are cooked or baked, the memories of the person who shared the recipe, fill our minds.
I have recipes which my Grandmother Ivy cooked and I feel, because the cooking tradition carries on, she will never be forgotten.
I look forward to trying Nani’s recipe.
Have a lovely week.
Best Wishes
Daphne
Thanks, Daphne!
It strikes a chord when someone shares a FAMILY recipe… there is something deep within regarding the warmth and love inherent to recipes. Thank you for sharing even more of yourself, Yvonne. PS. I love Basmati also. I’m looking forward to trying this recipe!
You put into words just how I feel. Thanks!
Thank you for sharing a family recipe and I can’t wait to try it. It’s very generous of you to share it with all of us, I know it’s delicious and a wonderful tribute to your Nani.
Linda
Loved you shared your family recipe with us. Can’t wait to try it.
Mmm. Sounds like our pulao. ☺ Indian pilaf I guess is a loose translation. As an a girl raised in a Punjabi home, I LUV my basmati. Thanks for sharing your Nani’s recipe with us today.
Big hugs, Gee
My dad was a rice farmer so I grew up eating a lot of rice which I really love. This recipe will be made this week. Thanks for sharing.
My grandmother’s recipes are the ones deepest in my heart. Thank you for sharing..
Looks relish and I love your blog and sense of humor! Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas!
delish*
Sounds easy and delicious.
Thank you so much for this recipe. I love rice and this will be nice to add to my recipe box! So happy for you and your family on your sweet little grand baby.
Many Blessings
Linda
Daphne
Loved my grandmother and the traditions and her recipes she shared with me. There is something about that special recipe that makes our hearts sing when we share them and those special memories so close to our hearts that we want to share with others. To those we have loved and lost and hope those recipes live on. Your recipe will certainly be shared.
Debby
Debbygoesshabby.blogspot.com
I am making this tonight with a roasted chicken!
Always looking for new rice recipes…this looks great. Doing my weekly menu this morning so this will be on it for sure! Thanks!
Yvonne, I am also of Hungarian descent and enjoy adding as many delicious “handed-down” recipes as I can to my daily meals. I love rice so this dish fits the bill in more than one way. Thank you for sharing. I love recipes that come from the heart.
Thank you for sharing a favorite recipe…..sounds delicious and actually easy and quick to make.
My great grandparents immigrated in 1881 from Hungary so I need to try this. Sounds good!
This looks like a perfect side dish and I look forward to making for my family, especially my 9 year old rice-loving daughter. Thanks for sharing and let’s pretend we both have a bowl full of the recipe in our hands and we are saying ‘cheers to good food and health!”
My husband is undergoing radiation therapy and has to watch his diet. This sounds perfect for him! Thanks!
Look forward to trying your family recipe. Thanks for sharing.
My Grandma Nancy used to make a variation of this rice…sautéed rice, celery, onions and vermicelli bits, or chow mein noodles cooked in chicken broth. Great with her delicious fried chicken! Thanks Yvonne.
This sounds delicious. I’m a big rice lover and was getting frustrated today as I couldn’t pull up this post of yours, Yvonne, however, all is fine again, tech-wise! By the way, I appreciated the fast response to my computer question; that was so nice! I sure wish I’d had grandparents. They were all long gone by the time I was born. My parents had me later in life (for their particular era). I intend to try this recipe very, very soon and just LOVED your Apple Cake recipe. Fabulous!
I made this dish for dinner last night. My husband and I both loved it! Thanks be to God that special recipes evoke such wonderful memories of those who have gone before us. Thanks, Yvonne!
This Rice dish sounds wonderful and I thank you for sharing it. Such a treasured recipe?
Thank you Yvonne for sharing this recipe. It sounds delicious and I love that it has the a bit of your family’s tradition attached! My Mama was from the South so I grew up eating rice but not fixed this particular way. I can’t wait to try it and I love that it’s mostly all common ingredients (I’d have to buy the fresh parsley.)
Sounds marvelous! Can’t wait to try it, thank you for sharing.
Can ‘t wait to try this recipe. Looks delicious.
How I love handed down recipes! I feel I keep my family members memories alive when I cook.
I’m excited to try this recipe! It’s extra special knowing it’s been handed down from generation to generation! Thank you Yvonne for your beautiful blog!
Looks so good and pretty too, tomorrows dinner with pork chops. Thank you for sharing something so special…so sweet!
Thanks for sharing your recipe. I will be making it this week, as it sounds delicious.
This almost sounds like a really good chicken and rice soup recipe… just add chicken and more broth! Thanks, Yvonne!
Thank you for sharing a delicious sounding rice recipe! Merry Christmas to you!
That looks so yummy. I can’t wait to make it.
We have had our book club for close to 20 years through babies, death, divorces, remarriages, happiness and sadness and have read over 200 books, some of which I would never have chosen myself but have turned out to be the most wonderful book or stories. Have fun with your club and here is to the next 8
Thank you so much for sharing you dear Nani’s rice with us. There is something that is so special about treasured family recipes; it’s like when we make them our dear loved one is still right there with us.
Hope your Nani won’t mind that I add a little twist to this dish by adding some carrot shreds and golden raisins…just a little color and hint of sweetness.
Sounds delish!
I like very mich rice and I’m going to try this culin recipe ( excuse me but I’french)!
Thank you very much for your culinary advices.
Happy day.
Nathy
This looks amazing. I’ve tasted sauteed rice but never knew how to make it. One of those things I always left undone. Now I’m going to finally make it. Thank you so much.
I am SO not a cook. Stove? Oven? What are they? I once had a friend offer to cook in my kitchen and she asked for a ladle….the closest item I had fitting the description was an ice cream scoop! BUT your rice recipe has intrigued me…I shall begin there…
Your rice looks amazing! I’ll have to try it super soon. Don’t you love the smell of basmati? It’s like popcorn!
My Louisiana roots made this dish, but we add chopped pecans.
this is delicious! made it and will make it again! whole family loved it!
We are having Nani’s rice for lunch today!
Thank you so much for sharing! I feel the same way about my mom’s spaghetti recipe. I may have given it out twice. I appreciate your blog and your outlook on life. YOU always brighten my day!!
Thank you…Vicky
Love the recipe for Nanni’s rice. My Mother name a variation of this, substitution tomato juice for hte chicken stack. She called it Pilaf — we loved it then and my family loves it now.
That rice sounds like the perfect side dish for your chicken!
Thank you for sharing
This sounds lovely, thanks so much for sharing! I will share this with a lovely Lady married to my sweet nephew who has Hungarian roots.
This looks really yummy…
Made Nanni’s rice last night. Served it with grilled salmon and grilled asparagus. It was so delicious. Great side dish with salmon. Will definitely make it again.
Hi Sharon, I’m thrilled you like it! It reminds me of my Nani!
Hi Yvonne! Thanks for all the wonderful recipes! I can’t wait to get the recipe for that dark chocolate cherry bark, YUMMY! And I’m definitely trying your family recipe for that rice. It’s close to a version we make down south but ours has cooked crumbled breakfast sausage, and a green bell pepper added to your ingredients and then it’s all baked in the oven. The rice goes in raw along with all the ingredients and the chicken broth. I’m going to try it Your way because I know I’m going to like it! Thanks so much for sharing and have a Merry Christmas and Happy holidays!
Shelia
Wow! I might have to try that delicious sounding recipe!
This sounds really yummy!
I have looked at this recipes in your full week of recipe that you post.. Today I have printed it out and will be making this weekend.
Have a great week and stay WARM.
Nancy
This is a family favorite! To add a little boost of flavor..put curry powder in it!
I made this today with meatloaf. Love this healthy recipe. Thanks for sharing!
This is the rice my Baba Petro and Aunt Mary made every Sunday. Difference only in they added a good dollop of butter!
My childhood! Thank you for reminding me.
Sue
I don’t know if you are aware you can sauté vegetable in water or broth ? Not only does it work it cuts the calories down ! Oil is just plain fat!
Thanks so much for that tip!
I love this rice. Have you ever used leftover in chicken and rice soup?
Mmmmm! This sounds good!
This sounds very good. Given that we are vegetarians, I will try it with vegetable broth. Thank you for sharing your family recipe.
I think you will love it!
I’m sure you will love it, Linda! Happy Cooking!